Gun shops and the people who work there...

[rue]

I go to a shop on my route (I have a side vending business) and the guy behind the counter barely talks at all when I walk in and seems more into whatever he was reading behind the counter. He had a whole case of cowboy revolvers which aren't my thing but it seriously limited his selection of modern pistols which I think more people are interested in. I doubt there is anyone buying single action .45's for over 1k everyday. I see one AR rifle and It's a Carbon 15. I check it out but I'm not really into the plastic lower so I hand it back and ask about OLL's and he tells me he doesn't sell them. I said ok and was ready to walk out and he starts ranting and raving about how it's illegal to build one and he's not getting arrested for selling something to me to build illegally. I just ignored the guy and said thanks and walked out.


I went to another shop and first the guy won't acknowledge I'm standing there then after I make eye contact with him asked if I had a question and I asked to see a pistol I was eyeballing and he asks to see ID. I'm 29 years old. I show him my ID and my HSC without problems and he lets me check out the gun. The whole time though I'm getting this vibe like he doesn't want to help me or something. I'm straight cut working class white guy, my pants aren't falling off my ***** and I'm not acting like a retard or anything. I didn't even ask about the OLL as I figured the guy won't know or would start telling me CA law in his eyes like the last guy.

I'm probably going on and on here but I wanted to know if anyone else has a problem with gun stores and they way they treat you. I personally don't treat anyone that way in my business. I have clients that suck to deal with but I never treat them like they don't matter to me. Seems like all the gun shops in my town aren't interested in making you feel like they want your business. Anyone noticing this trend in your area?

[Miltiades]

Gun store experiences

I live in the San Diego area and have frequented 5 or 6 gun stores in this area over the years I have been here. Perhaps I have been lucky, but my experiences with gun store employees have been pretty good. Most of those I have dealt with are knowledgeable about guns as well as skilled in selling techniques and CA gun laws. They are generally willing to spend some time showing me their products and discussing the pros and cons of different models.

I don't doubt that you encountered rude and indifferent gun store employees in your town, however. I have sometimes run into retail sales people like this in other stores, and I often refuse to go back to a store after one bad experience of this type. I would bet that the gun stores you describe don't stay in business very long.

[kurac]

It depends on where you go and who they hire. Some places are awful other places know you by name (if you buy enough stuff) and may even rib you a bit cause they care.

[Bongos]

Turner's hire anyone off the street! Go to Ade's and they will even encourage you to build a CA legal AR build, even will point you in the right direction

[rivviepop]

Turn a "rude" (or just ignoring-you) gun store employee into your friend, ask them how to clean a certain part or explain to you how something works and they'll be your friend. Usually the guys who seem rude are just waiting for someone to talk to about gun stuff besides putting your paws on a toy.

That's my experience, at least. I usually use the "I've got a lot of copper in the bbl I can't seem to clean, what's your opinion on these 5 cleaners and what would you do?" and let them talk about Butch's Bore Shine for awhile. (or if it's a collectible chop ask how to identify real Nazi markings or explain how old 45 black powders work or something)

[Socal858]

Turner's hire anyone off the street! Go to Ade's and they will even encourage you to build a CA legal AR build, even will point you in the right direction

ades is a wonderful shop and ade is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. period.

bright spot pawn in the inland empire is also another top notch shop

[dfletcher]

I've not quite figured it out, but the instances you describe are similar to those experienced in computer stores. I think whenever there is a situation where the person behind the counter feels they have much greater knowledge than the customer, and they function in an environment where there may not be a standard of what is correct or incorrect, they believe they know best and all others are less knowledgeable. Depending on their personality, they can choose to be helpful of derogatory or disinterested.

I'm sure anyone who has a computer or IT person at work has seen it on occassion - the "Can you believe that idiot didn't know his dweezelpopper was fried and he actually asked me about the gizzydoodle? What a dumb@ss".

[Cpl. Haas]

I'm sure anyone who has a computer or IT person at work has seen it on occassion - the "Can you believe that idiot didn't know his dweezelpopper was fried and he actually asked me about the gizzydoodle? What a dumb@ss".

Kinda like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yabs2O_99aA

[CSACANNONEER]

Everybody has bad days, even people that work retail. I work at a gunshop/range a few hours a month for such lousy pay that I usually end up spending more money than I make during my shift. I'm talking about the cost of fuel to get there and the cost of a lunch or two (if my son is with me). Of course the benefits more than make up for the poor pay. What I'm trying to get at is that I enjoy working there and still, every once in a while, I may ignore a customer just because I need a couple minutes to rest, choke down some food or finish a project. If you happened to run into me and I was rude, I apologize. If it wasn't me, I'd give the shops another chance. If you continue to get the same treatment, post the names of the shops here!

[kap]

You can read the whole thing, but the title and the concluding remarks sum it up.

"Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments"

...

Concluding Remarks
In sum, we present this article as an exploration into why people tend to hold overly optimistic and miscalibrated views about themselves. We propose that those with limited knowledge in a domain suffer a dual burden: Not only do they reach mistaken conclusions and make regrettable errors, but their incompetence robs them of the ability to realize it.

Although we feel we have done a competent job in making a strong case for this analysis, studying it empirically, and drawing out relevant implications, our thesis leaves us with one haunting worry that we cannot vanquish. That worry is that this article may contain faulty logic, methodological errors, or poor communication. Let us assure our readers that to the extent this article is imperfect, it is not a sin we have committed knowingly.

http://www.geocities.com/sgraessle/folder1/incomp.htm

[TonyM]

I'm probably going on and on here but I wanted to know if anyone else has a problem with gun stores and they way they treat you.

Nope. No problems at my FFLs. Heck, last time I was at Irvington Arms we got so busy talking that I lost track of time and ended up staying about 1/2 longer than I planned.

Sometimes it's difficult to find a good shop, but when you do, you'll know it.

[elroy]

i,ve not really found a shop i'm 100% happy with , but thats why we shop at more than one place ,,, turners seems to hire anyone ,, but at least the kids are somewhat enthusiastic thouigh not the most well informed ,and their sales are hard to beat,,, ade's is good , but he does not stock anything oll himself , he sells lowers and whole rifles on consignment , no uppers or lpk type stuff , maybe this limits his liability ?? +100 to J and J armory for having the balls to be a oll based store in the OC ,,although they do have some employees who were not 100% up on all the info and one guy was fumbleing a lower assembly for a customer ,struggling with the roll pin 4 the bolt catch tapping it with a hammer gouging the masink tape on the lower ,, i'll build it myself thanks ,,, but i bought my stag lower there and lpk and mags ,, fair prices and good stuff in stock ,,, fowlers has a big selection of safe firearms but get grumpy when asked about oll's ,, a bit pricey too ,, thats my impressions from recent visits , each shop seems to have strengths and weaknesses , and i would encourage everyone to support their local shops , even if its just a mag or a box o ammo , you may encourage them to better suit your needs , they may need it after dealing with the govt. , insurance co. , competition from wallmart and big5 and internet sources ,problem customers , bass pro shops , and any number of other things that drag down a regular buisness trying to survive in kalifornia's wonderful world of regulations ( may i see your compressor permit ? what ? you don't have a special permit for that air compressor ,, how bout this pallette rack , let me see your arcetectural drawings for this with load ratings for each shelf ,,,, i,m not joking , i've heard both of these from an inspector )

[SJshooter]

I know what the original poster is talking about. But just think about the type of yahoos that come into a gun store and how much stupid crap the average guy behind the counter must deal with day in and day out. I'm sure day doesn't go by that some complete imbecile comes in and either mishandles a gun for sale, or sweeps the employee with the muzzle while checking it out, or asking not jus dumb questions but questions that make you think "geez, I don't think this guy should own a gun."

I heard a joke once: What is the difference between a gun store employee and a stagecoach driver? Answer: The stagecoach driver only has to look at six a-holes all day.

I think that pretty much sums it up - my guess is that working in a gun store can make you jaded really, really fast.

[rue]

Seems like shops in Socal are a little better maybe from most of your answers. I need to move.

[River Jack]

+1 for Bright Spot Pawn. Chris and Brian have great customer service skills, are honest, willing to talk shop about whatever, and are just hands down good people. BSP is my favorite shop in my area.

My experiences at other shops have not been as well received. As far as I can tell (from my own experience), many of the gun shop employees are a bunch of incompetent dill weeds that think they know it all and that you (the customer) are not worthy of their time. Again, there are always exceptions.

Just my $0.02.